SAN ANTONIO - Paid to watch games with an eye for detail, even some of the NBA's best scouts admit they sometimes get caught up admiring the play of Stephen Curry, the Golden State guard who set an NBA record by making 272 3-point shots this season.

Tasked with recommending a defensive scheme that might work against the Warriors' leading scorer, one former NBA player-turned-scout recalled one game where he tossed aside his notepad so he could just sit back and watch Curry perform.

"If he's on a roll, I don't think there's a heck of a lot anyone can do anyway," he said, "What good is a scouting report when he shoots it so deep and gets it off so quick?

"I don't have an answer for him, and I don't think anyone else does, either."

Scouts aren't alone in befuddlement. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich stood, slack-jawed, as Curry blitzed the Spurs with 22 points (including six 3-pointers), two assists and five rebounds in the second half of the Warriors' 116-106 victory at Oracle Arena on April 15.

"I was almost in a mesmerized state watching Curry shoot," he said. "It was like playing against Michael Jordan. I was watching Curry make shots I couldn't believe anybody could make."

All-around scorer

As the Spurs prepare for Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series against the Warriors, scheduled for Monday night at AT&T Center, their defensive game plan is focused heavily on limiting Curry, who emerged in his fourth season as one of the NBA's most electrifying scorers.

Besides setting the record for 3-pointers, Curry finished seventh in the NBA scoring race, averaging 22.9 points per game. He also made 45.3 percent of his long-range shots and 90 percent of his free throws. Curry also handed out 6.9 assists per game.

What can any team do to stop him?

"I compare Steph to Steve Nash," one Western Conference scout said, "and I expect everything the Spurs do to be similar to what they did against Nash in all those playoffs with the Suns.

"What they really need to do is bring Bruce Bowen out of retirement and let him beat the (heck) out of him just like he did to Steve."

Trailing 3-1 in their first-round series against the Warriors, the Denver Nuggets adopted some Bowen-like tactics against Curry, who missed six of seven 3-point attempts.

"I'm not going to get into that," said All-Star point guard Tony Parker, most likely the first Spurs player who will match up defensively with Curry. "Our Spurs defense, we play physical and try to contain guys. At the same time, you don't want to hurt the guy. Just play physical and do the best job you can."

Multiple defenders

Bowen, a five-time first-team NBA All-Defensive team selection, hasn't played since 2009 but that doesn't mean the Spurs can't try to replicate what worked against Nash when Bowen was their defensive stopper.

"I think they'll give him different looks, including using Kawhi Leonard," another Western Conference scout said. "They'll throw length, size and speed at him, mix it up. There's nobody better than Popovich to put a plan like that together."

There was consensus among five scouts consulted about defending Curry: It is mandatory to give him different defensive looks and put longer players on him.

At 6-6, Manu Ginobili understands he will be part of a defensive-platoon system on Curry, along with Parker (6-3) Danny Green (6-7), and Leonard (6-7).

"You don't want to let him play freely, so you want to pressure him and get him off the 3-point line," Ginobili said. "But the guy's very good with handling the ball and getting to those teardrops, finding people. He's very skilled, but you've got to pressure him a little bit more and try not to let him take over because he's definitely got a lot of talent."